Eric, I suggest you start a Social Security thread so people can give vent to their feelings on this subject rather than hijacking a pleasant thread about the late lesbian astronaut Sally Ride....commenter MCN Done! Is it "the most-egregious --...

Was there ever a more exquisitely named public figure than Sally Ride, the first U.S. woman astronaut, who died this week at 61? It was a total coincidence that he name appeared in the memorable refrain of the 1960s R&B...

To the editor: What a wonderful gesture that puts California in a positive light. Putting a statue of the late astronaut Sally Ride in the U.S. Capitol is symbolic of California's commitment to education and inclusiveness. ("State senator wants Sally Ride...

China's first female astronaut has begun training for her next mission after having a baby, state media reported Friday.
The selection of China's female astronauts had been somewhat controversial because of a reported preference for married women who...

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A California state senator is proposing to place a statue of pioneering astronaut Sally Ride in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall, which would make Ride the first woman to represent California and the first known gay person to be included in the collection.
The statue, if approved and commissioned, would replace a likeness of Father Junipero Serra, the 18th century Franciscan monk who founded nine Catholic missions in California. Pope Francis announced last month he plans to canonize Serra, an...

In February of 1960, the American magazine Look ran a cover story that asked, "Should a Girl Be First in Space?" It was a sensational headline representing an audacious idea at the time. And as we all know, the proposal fell short. In 1961, NASA sent Alan Shepard above the stratosphere, followed by dozens of other spacemen over the next two decades. Only in 1983 did Sally Ride become America's first female astronaut to launch.
But why would anyone think a woman would be the first to space, anyway?...

Customized TV Listings are available here: www.latimes.com/tvtimes
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TV listings for the week of Oct. 12 - 18, 2014 in PDF format
This week's TV Movies
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SERIES
30 for 30 This new episode recalls the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that rocked San Francisco and Oakland shortly before the start of Game 3 of the 1989 World Series between the Giants and the A's. 7 p.m. ESPN; 10 p.m. ESPN2
Joshua Bell: A YoungArts Masterclass The violinist and composer...

Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, was an inspirational scientist. The institution she founded, Sally Ride Science, continues to organize camps and festivals for aspiring female astronauts. Perhaps there will come a day when we all can travel to the International Space Station. Until then, and in honor of Ride, who died last week, here are a few places to enjoy the history of space and flight.
-Washington
The Air and Space Museum on the National Mall is home to the 1903 Flyer, Charles...

I was saddened to learn of astronaut Sally Ride's death ("Ride had the cool to break barriers," July 25). Outer space is infinite, but human life is not. Sixty-one seems too young for this pioneer to leave us.
I feel fortunate, blessed and privileged to have lived at a time when men and women traveled into space and explored the moon. However, what I deeply regret is the manner all the astronauts appeared to "hide their light under a bushel." At a time when we desperately need genuine heroes, role...

In the early days of the space program, astronauts were ex-Marines, Air Force officers and hot-shot pilots. Sally Ride got there a little differently: She answered a want ad.
In the late 1970s, NASA decided that, in addition to pilots, it needed some astronauts with more training in the sciences. More than 8,300 applied for a position, and she was one of only 35 chosen. Why, she later said, was a "complete mystery."
Ride went on to become the first American woman sent into space, the youngest American...